Metallic buttonhole-eyelet



(No Mddel.)

J. B. WHEAT. METALLIC BUTTONHOLE EYELET.

Patented Aug. 6

GIG/777 5. w. 60/;

Invenfor UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

JOHN WHEAT, or HUBBARD UITY,,TEXAS.

METALLIC BUTTQNHQLE-EYELET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,149, dated August 6, 1895. Application filed May 31 B9 5. Serialll'o. 55I l,130- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. WHEAT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hubbard City, in the county of Hill and State of'Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Buttonhole-Eyelets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven-.

tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The ordinary familiar stitch-formed buttonhole is open to serious objections because of the difficulty of producing a neat finished appearance, and also because it is liable to wear rapidly, fray out, and present an ugly appearance.

The object that I have in view is to provide a buttonhole-eyelet of metal which can be readily fastened to the fabric, and this metallic eyelet or buttonhole is made to give or expand for the purpose of permitting the button to be easily passed or forced through the opening.

My invention consists of a metallic button-v hole-eyelet having a pivoted member or section which is adapted to play or move toward and from the rigid part of the eyelet when the button is forced through the opening. I

The invention further consists of the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention,I have illustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of my'metallic buttonhole-eyelet. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the parts of the eyelet detached. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the eyelet on the plane indicated by the dotted line 00 0c of Figil. Fig. 4 is a view showing the buttonhole-eyelet applied to a fabric.

Like letters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to which- A designates my expansible metallic buttonhole-eyelet. This eyelet consists of two members B 0, each formed of a single piece of metal, preferably thin sheet metal, bent or otherwise wrought to the appropriate form and pivotally connected together by the pin D to enable the member or section 0 to play toward or from the free end of the member B. The member B forms the main part of the eyelet and has the substantially straight side I) and the curved end b, and in the outer edge of said member B is formed the groove or channel 0, which preferably extends entirely around said member. The inner edge of the side b of the member B has the slanting abutting surface d, and at the terminal of the curved part b is formed or produced the ears or lugs e' e, on opposite sides of the circumferential channel 0. The member 0 of the eyelet is short as compared with the length of member B, and said member O is also stamped, pressed, or otherwise wrought in a single piece of metal with a groove fin its outer edge, a slanting face g on its inneredge and at the free edge thereof, and with the projecting lugs gg at one end. These lugs g 9 lie within the top and bottom faces of the member 0 to form recesses, as shown by Fig. 2, and when the member 0 isproperly assembled in relation to the member B the ears e e of member B fit in the recesses in themember C, while the lugs g g of member 0 fit between the ears 6 e of member B, whereby the members are fitted together to bring their faces flush and the channels or grooves cfin coincidence. The pin or rivet D passes through the lugs and ears e e g g of the two members B O to pivotally con; nect them together. and enable the member 0' to swing or play toward or from the free end (1 of the member B.

WVhen the eyelet is in its closed normal position, the face 9 at the free end of the pivoted member 0 abuts against the face at at the free end of the memberB,and the eyelet has the shape or appearance of an ordinary buttonhole.

The grooves c fin the two members B C extend continuously around the outer edge of the eyelet. Near their outer'edges the members of the metallic eyelet are pierced with a series of openings h, which are formed in the eyelet at right angles to the grooves of, and which apertures intersect with the grooves.

In applying my metallic eyelet to a fabric a hole is cut in the latter and the edges of the fabric are fitted in the channel around the edge of the metallic eyelet, after which the eyelet is secured to the fabric by stitches which pass through the apertures h of the eyelet and the fabric. It will be seen that the metallic eyelet can be readily sewed to the fabric and the parts thereby securely united together; but when it is desired to remove the eyelet from the fabric it is only necessary to cut the stitches and-remove the eyelet from the buttonhole in the fabric.

My metallic buttonhole-eyelet does not exhibit the wear and usage to which it is subjected, and it may be repeatedly used on different fabrics.

When in use the tension or pull of the fab ric which surrounds the eyelet tends to normally keep the pivoted member 0 closed against the free end of the member l3, and thus prevent the button from slipping accidentally through the eye of the metallic buttonhole-eyelet. If it is desired to pass a button through the eyelet, it is only necessary to turn the button slightly and present it edgewise to the boundary walls of the eye and then press the button through the eye or loop, the pressure of the button on the pivoted member C forcing the latter away from the member B suificiently for the button to readily pass through the eye or loop of the metallic eyelet.

My device is simple and durable in construction, and it is cheap of manufacture, as it can be rapidly manufactured by machinery.

The eyelet can be easily secured to fabrics by stitching it thereto, and it can also be removed for use on other fabrics. I do not,

however, strictly limit myself to securing the metallic eyelet to fabric by stitching the eyelet to the fabric, as I am aware that the eyelet may be mechanically fastened to the fabric, nor do I wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and proportion of parts and the details of construction herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention, because I am aware that minor changes can be made therein by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An expansible metallic button-hole eyelet consisting of two members pivotally connected together and having their free ends abutting against each other when closed to form a complete loop or eye, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A metallic button-hole eyelet comprising a rigid member and a yielding member, the Whole forming a complete loop or eye, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A metallic button-hole eyelet com prisi ug a rigid member B and a yielding member 0, the two members being pivotally connected together, and the eyelet provided with a circumferential groove, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. An'expansible button-hole eyelet having a pivoted member and provided with a groove or channel in its outer edge and with the stitch receiving apertures which intersect with said groove, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. A metallic button-hole eyelet comprising a perforated member having ears, a grooved perforated member provided with lugs which overlap the ears of the first named member, and a pivot which connects the members together, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN B. \VHEAT. Vitnesses:

T. B. MCCUTCHIN, L. M. TYNES. 

